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Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants
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Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2024 | Viewed by 2930

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Uchenna Y. Anele

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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
Interests: feed additives; feed evaluation; exogenous enzymes; greenhouse gas emissions; gut health and function; integrated crop-livestock systems; nutraceuticals; rumen fermentation; rumen microbiome; ruminants; metabolomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lydia K. Olagunju

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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
Interests: feed additives; feed evaluation; exogenous enzymes; greenhouse gas emissions; gut health and function; plant nutraceuticals; rumen fermentation; rumen microbiome; ruminants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ruminant production plays a critical role in food security worldwide. Sufficient levels of nutrients are necessary to meet requirements for maintenance, growth and lactation and thus guarantee animal well-being and performance. Feed additives have continued to play a significant role in diverse areas of animal production. This has expanded the intensity and scope of research into additive effects on dry matter intake, feed efficiency, metabolome, immune function, and the gut health of ruminant animals. However, inconsistent results have limited the use of several feed additives, thereby necessitating further research in order to validate results of research on animal species, product activity, application rate, product composition, stage of life, mode and time of delivery, ruminal activity, compound stability, and product–feed specificity.

This Issue will focus on research that can provide solutions to current and emerging challenges in the development of novel feed additives around the world.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Ruminants.

Dr. Uchenna Y. Anele
Dr. Lydia K. Olagunju
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cattle
  • feed additives
  • feed evaluation
  • goat
  • greenhouse gases
  • gut health
  • nutrient metabolism
  • sheep
  • sustainability

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 899 KiB  
Article
Lactation Performance and Rumen Fermentation in Dairy Cows Fed a Diet Supplemented with Monensin or Gum Arabic-Nano Montmorillonite Compost
by Salim A. Al Adawi, Hani M. El-Zaiat, Amr S. Morsy and Yosra A. Soltan
Animals 2024, 14(11), 1649; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111649 - 31 May 2024
Abstract
The exploration of natural alternatives to antibiotics for enhancing productivity and performance in dairy cows is a crucial objective in farm animal management. This is the first study aimed at developing and evaluating the physicochemical properties and effects of Arabic gum–nano montmorillonite (AGNM) [...] Read more.
The exploration of natural alternatives to antibiotics for enhancing productivity and performance in dairy cows is a crucial objective in farm animal management. This is the first study aimed at developing and evaluating the physicochemical properties and effects of Arabic gum–nano montmorillonite (AGNM) compost compared to ionophore monensin as feed additives on rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, and milk production of Holstein dairy cows. In a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design, four multiparous mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows with an average body weight of 520 ± 15 kg were enrolled. The dietary treatments included a control diet (basal diet without feed additives), monensin diet [a basal diet supplemented with 35 mg/kg dry matter (DM) monensin], and AGNM diets comprising basal diet supplemented with two levels: low (L-AGNM) at 1.5 g/kg DM, and high (H-AGNM) at 3 g/kg DM. AGNM as a feed additive demonstrated promising physiochemical parameters, including containing highly bioactive components (α-amyrin and lupeol), functional groups (OH and Si-O), and essential mineral contents (Mg2+). Supplementations with H-AGNM significantly improved ruminal (p = 0.031) concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), acetic (p = 0.05) and butyric (p = 0.05), enhanced (p < 0.05) digestibility of fiber and organic matter, while decreased (p = 0.013) estimated methane production. However, an increase (p = 0.04) in blood high-density lipoprotein levels and decrease (p < 0.05) in concentrations of creatinine (CREA), bilirubin (BILT), cholesterol (CHOL), and sodium (Na) were observed with H-AGNM supplementation. Both monensin and H-AGNM improved (p = 0.008) feed efficiency compared to L-AGNM; however, neither AGNM nor monensin affected the milk composition or energy status indicators of the dairy cows. The findings of this study highlight the potential of AGNM as a natural candidate to replace monensin in enhancing ruminal VFA production, nutrient digestibility, feed efficiency, blood metabolites, and milk yield in dairy cows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants)
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19 pages, 1089 KiB  
Article
Efficacy of Salvia officinalis Shrub as a Sustainable Feed Additive for Reducing Ruminal Methane Production and Enhancing Fermentation in Ruminants
by Ahmed E. Kholif, Md Atikur Rahman, Salah A. H. Abo El-Nor, Tarek A. Morsy, Gouda A. Gouda, Mahmoud Fahmy and Mireille Chahine
Animals 2024, 14(11), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111648 - 31 May 2024
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of dried Salvia officinalis (SO) shrub leaves on nutrient degradability, ruminal in vitro fermentation, gas production (GP), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) productions. Dried and [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of dried Salvia officinalis (SO) shrub leaves on nutrient degradability, ruminal in vitro fermentation, gas production (GP), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) productions. Dried and ground SO shrub leaves were included at 0% (control), 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% DM of a diet consisting of (per kg DM) 500 g concentrate feed mixture, 400 g berseem hay, and 100 g rice straw. The diet was incubated for 48 h. The asymptotic GP and the rate of GP changed linearly and quadratically (p < 0.01), with the highest GP observed at 1% inclusion of SO and then decreasing thereafter with greater inclusion (i.e., 1.5% and 2%), while CH4 production and its rate decreased linearly (p < 0.01) with all levels of SO inclusion. A linear increase in CO2 production and its rate was also found with an increasing level of SO inclusion in the diet (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the degradability of DM, NDF, and the concentration of total short-chain fatty acids and acetate changed linearly and quadratically, with the greatest being found at 1% SO inclusion and then steadily declining after (p < 0.01) with the 1.5% and 2% inclusion levels. Meanwhile, the propionate, NH3-N, and microbial crude protein levels showed similar trends, with the plateau found at 1% inclusion of SO, where there was no change in butyrate concentration. Moreover, the pH, metabolizable energy, and partitioning factor (PF24) also changed linearly and quadratically (p < 0.05), where the pH and PF24 were considerably reduced and ME increased with a 1% inclusion of SO (p < 0.05). In summary, SO at 1% inclusion in the diet showed the potential to improve gas production kinetics, nutrient degradability, and the ruminal fermentation profile, with a more significant reduction in ruminal CH4 production suggesting that SO at 1% could be included in the ruminant diet to reduce their carbon footprint and increase the production performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants)
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14 pages, 3810 KiB  
Article
Nicotinamide Supplementation Mitigates Oxidative Injury of Bovine Intestinal Epithelial Cells through Autophagy Modulation
by Yihan Guo, Changdong Feng, Yiwei Zhang, Kewei Hu, Chong Wang and Xiaoshi Wei
Animals 2024, 14(10), 1483; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14101483 - 16 May 2024
Viewed by 470
Abstract
The small intestine is important to the digestion and absorption of rumen undegradable nutrients, as well as the barrier functionality and immunological responses in ruminants. Oxidative stress induces a spectrum of pathophysiological symptoms and nutritional deficits, causing various gastrointestinal ailments. Previous studies have [...] Read more.
The small intestine is important to the digestion and absorption of rumen undegradable nutrients, as well as the barrier functionality and immunological responses in ruminants. Oxidative stress induces a spectrum of pathophysiological symptoms and nutritional deficits, causing various gastrointestinal ailments. Previous studies have shown that nicotinamide (NAM) has antioxidant properties, but the potential mechanism has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of NAM on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative injury in bovine intestinal epithelial cells (BIECs) and its potential mechanism. The results showed that NAM increased the cell viability and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in BIECs challenged by H2O2. The NAM exhibited increased expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase 2, and tight junction proteins. The expression of autophagy-related proteins was increased in BIECs challenged by H2O2, and NAM significantly decreased the expression of autophagy-related proteins. When an autophagy-specific inhibitor was used, the oxidative injury in BIECs was not alleviated by NAM, and the T-AOC and the release of LDH were not affected. Collectively, these results indicated that NAM could alleviate oxidative injury in BIECs by enhancing antioxidant capacity and increasing the expression of tight junction proteins, and autophagy played a crucial role in the alleviation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants)
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13 pages, 1078 KiB  
Article
Supplementation of Methionine Dipeptide Enhances the Milking Performance of Lactating Dairy Cows
by Xiaoshi Wei, Ning Han and Hongyun Liu
Animals 2024, 14(9), 1339; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091339 - 29 Apr 2024
Viewed by 620
Abstract
Methionine dipeptide (Met-Met) could improve milk protein synthesis in bovine epithelia mammary cells and lactating mice, while the effects of Met-Met on lactation performance, rumen fermentation and microbiota profile in lactating dairy cows have not been explored. For this reason, 60 Chinese lactating [...] Read more.
Methionine dipeptide (Met-Met) could improve milk protein synthesis in bovine epithelia mammary cells and lactating mice, while the effects of Met-Met on lactation performance, rumen fermentation and microbiota profile in lactating dairy cows have not been explored. For this reason, 60 Chinese lactating Holstein cows were allocated into three treatment groups: control group (CON), 6 g/d methionine dipeptide group (MM), and 6.12 g/d rumen-protected methionine dipeptide group (RPMM). The experiment lasted for 10 weeks to monitor lactation performance, plasma amino acid profile and rumen fermentation parameters and microbiota profile. Results showed that MM increased the energy-corrected milk (ECM), and RPMM increased both milk yield and ECM (p < 0.05). The milk protein concentration and yield were increased by MM and RPMM (p < 0.05). The rumen fermentation showed that RPMM increased total volatile fatty acids, acetate and valerate concentrations (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Firmicutes, including Succiniclasticum, Selenomonas and Clostridium_XlVa, were enriched and the Prevotella was decreased by RPMM (p < 0.05). In summary, daily supplementing with 6 g of MM or RPMM in lactating dairy cows could improve milk yield and both percentage and yield of milk protein, and RPMM benefited the rumen fermentation and altered the bacterial composition. These results provided the first evidence that Met-Met supplementation can improve lactation performance of dairy cows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants)
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14 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
Effect of Calcareous Marine Algae Buffer on High-Producing Dairy Cows during Peak Lactation
by Radko Loučka, Václav Jambor, Hana Synková, Petr Homolka, Dana Kumprechtová, Veronika Koukolová, Petra Kubelková, Alena Výborná, Yvona Tyrolová and Filip Jančík
Animals 2024, 14(6), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060897 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 619
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of calcareous marine algae (Lithotamium calcareum)-based rumen content buffer (CMA) included in concentrated feed within total mixed ration (TMR), fed to 34 peak lactation (87–144 days in milk) Holstein dairy cows, [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of calcareous marine algae (Lithotamium calcareum)-based rumen content buffer (CMA) included in concentrated feed within total mixed ration (TMR), fed to 34 peak lactation (87–144 days in milk) Holstein dairy cows, randomized into two groups (group A, n = 17; group B, n = 17), wearing collars with accelerometers, and housed a in barn with automatic feed-weigh troughs. During the first phase P1, group A received TMR with CMA (TMR-E) and group B was fed TMR without the buffer (TMR-C). For P2, the treatments in the groups were exchanged. Feed intake, feeding time (FT), rumination time (RT), milk yield, milk composition, and rumen pH were measured by barn technologies, and rumen fluid and feces composition were analyzed in the laboratory. Differences between the TMR-E and TMR-C in most parameters under study were statistically insignificant, except overall FT and RT, which differed significantly between the groups. Group A, feeding at P1 by TMR-E, exhibited higher FT and RT than Group B (202 min/cow/day vs. 184 min/cow/day, and 486 min/cow/day vs. 428 min/cow/day, respectively). The RT significantly increased after switching from TMR-C to TMR-E. This implies that the buffer effect is delayed and persists after the withdrawal. In the group of cows that received control TMR without buffer in the first phase, RT and milk protein content increased significantly in the first week after the addition of buffer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants)
22 pages, 6490 KiB  
Article
Effects of Sophora alopecuroides in a High-Concentrate Diet on the Liver Immunity and Antioxidant Function of Lambs According to Transcriptome Analysis
by Yawen An, Hairong Wang, Aiwu Gao, Shufang Li, Jinli Yang, Boyang Li and Henan Lu
Animals 2024, 14(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020182 - 5 Jan 2024
Viewed by 868
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Sophora alopecuroides (SA) on liver function, liver inflammatory factor levels, antioxidant indexes and transcriptome in sheep. Twenty-four 3-month-old healthy Dumont hybrid lambs weighing 25.73 ± 2.17 kg were randomly divided into three [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Sophora alopecuroides (SA) on liver function, liver inflammatory factor levels, antioxidant indexes and transcriptome in sheep. Twenty-four 3-month-old healthy Dumont hybrid lambs weighing 25.73 ± 2.17 kg were randomly divided into three groups: C1 (the control group), fed a concentrate-to-forage ratio of 50:50; H2 (the high-concentration group), fed a concentrate-to-forage ratio of 70:30; and S3 (the SA group), fed a concentrate-to-forage ratio of 70:30 + 0.1% SA. The results showed that the rumen pH values of the C1 and S3 groups were significant or significantly higher than that of the H2 group (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The serum ALT, AST and LDH activities and the LPS and LBP concentrations in the sheep serum and liver in the H2 group were significantly or extremely significantly higher than those in the C1 and S3 groups (p < 0.01), and the IL-10 content and SOD, GPX-PX and T-AOC activities showed the opposite trend (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in the ECM–receptor interaction and focal adhesion pathways, which are closely related to immune and antioxidant functions (p-adjust < 0.1). In summary, SA could improve the immune and antioxidant functions of lamb livers under high-concentrate conditions and regulate the mechanism of damage on sheep livers, which is caused by high-concentrate diets and through the expression of related genes in the ECM/FAs pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrients and Feed Additives in Ruminants)
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